Detox Suboxone Detox: Another Success Story

[MrPubNub]

I am currently on day 7 of no Suboxone and I can't believe I am saying this based on what I have read on here and on other forums, but this detox has been a cake walk! I hope this post can help those that are afraid to make the jump and inspire others who want a better life.

I was only on Suboxone for 2 months, but on a decent dose (8mg-16mg/day). I jumped off at 8mg (ABSOLUTELY NO TAPER -- I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS) and after 7 days these are my symptoms:

Slight discomfort and sweaty feeling
Fatigue/Laziness
Trouble sleeping (4-6 hrs./night)

Here is a very brief timeline of my symptoms:

Day 1) I felt the detox right away. It did not take "up to 72 hours or more" for me to feel it. I started feeling uncomfortable at 13 hours (so I guess that isn't "right away" but for Suboxone, it is). Runny nose, sneezing, muscle pain in my legs, and slightly nauseous.
Days 2-5) Headache was the worst part of this part, and probably could have been prevented had I been hydrating more. I honestly was not very conscience about taking better care of my body through this detox because I did not feel that bad. If it were not for the night time headache on day 4 which kept me up for 2 hours, this would have felt equivalent to a minor cold.
Days 6-7) These have been the most annoying days for me, because no matter how optimistic I am to almost be done with this thing, the symptoms still prevail. They are very, VERY minor at this point -- just fatigue, laziness and some sleep deprivation. All my aches and pains are gone! After 7 days? Off of Subs?

There are 3 reasons why I think this was so easy for me. First, I was not taking Suboxone for very long. Two, before the two months on Suboxone, I had been clean for 8 months, so no prior opiates had a play in the severity of this detox. And last, when I got clean 10 months ago, I did a ultra rapid opiate detox off of Methadone (cold turkey from 140mg). I don't even need to say how painful that was (I will save that story for another post) but I think the severity of that detox may have "upped my tolerance" for detoxing?

I came here today to inspire those that have read all the horror stories about Suboxone withdrawal, and to emphasize that you stay away from them. I was so, SO scared to go through these withdrawals. I had no hope based on what I head read. Thought I would be stuck in bed and have to resort to something nasty like Kratom to help me through the withdrawals. I could not be happier that I did not go the Kratom route out of pure fear.

I am about to go play soccer for the 3rd day in a row and go to my night classes. Is this even real life?

Thanks for reading!

 

[mrsnowygrainius]

what was the point of this post? you were only on subs for 2 months? thats nothing... in fact thats the recommended time for someone to be on subs... of course you didn't have any bad withdrawals, 2 months is a joke

I've been on suboxone going on 5 years now, at 10mgs a day, now when i try to come off- it will be hellish. Im not trying to sound like a douche, and congrats on you for getting off, but still you can't come on here trying to say that sub withdrawals are easy, yes it will be easy for those only on it for a few weeks, or couple months like you... bit like i said those on it for years like me are fucked.

 

[Jabberwocky]

I think their thread is useful because it is an example of how the withdrawal syndrome (and how hellish it supposedly is) people often hear about associated with long acting opioids like buprenorphine and methadone is entirely dependent on how their use is managed.

I was on methadone for about 2.5 years and experiences very minor withdrawal coming off it given how I went about it. This individual, while they might not have been on buprenorphine as long as some, didn't struggle coming off it either given how they went about using it. The OP also noted was they thought were potential reasons for why things might be going so well, in particular when they highlight how "First, I was not taking Suboxone for very long."

When most people talk about with withdrawal from buprenorphine and methadone, all you tend to hear about is how horrible it went. You rarely hear from people, regardless of how they do it, experienced a more successful transition off ORT (which is hardly uncommon, we just don't get to hear about it as much because these folks tend to be less vocal than those who complain about how horrible it was for them).

Everyone is different and everyone will react to drug use and various treatment differently. But knowing more about the circumstances that allow certain individuals to achieve certain results is empowering to say the least. Personally, I was pleased to see this thread (actually for a number of other reasons too).

[mention]MrPubNub[/mention] make the most of your success in this, it is indeed real! Don't expect your recovery to be a walk in the park, but it doesn't need to be some painful shit show either. It is precisely what you make of it. Keep getting out there and doing healthy things for yourself as you have been! It'll just make it all the easier as you keep blazing your own trail ahead. Keep up the good work!

 

[simco]

I agree with TPD: this thread has obvious merit and makes several important points. Thanks for starting it, MrPubNub.

TPD is absolutely right. Horror stories about discontinuing ORT risk scaring people off from what is clearly a valid tool in our recovery arsenal.

Likewise, several recent posts on SL serve as reminders of the important fact that physiological responses to introducing/using/stopping drugs of various stripes are extremely hard to generalize about. Each of us responds to experiences with drugs differently. This is a very important thing to keep in mind during recovery, a process that is too often governed by averages and probabilities at best, and rumors and superstition at worst.

 

[FLA]

I think you guys are right on the money here. I have been trying to get off bupe after deciding to part ways with my doctor for reasons I won't go into here. I do think it's mostly psychological. I believe the withdrawal becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy to some extent. I'm not saying there isn't some physical withdrawal but I've had to go cold turkey off of 120 mg of methadone so that kind of puts it in perspective for me. The problem for me is to stop identifying with the mindset where a substance is needed. I don't know if I'll ever win that battle, I think it's too conditioned. Overall I think bupe is a good medicine, but the expense and the conditions this doctor is requiring keep going from bad to worse.

 

[Captain.Heroin]

Congrats!

 

[MrPubNub]

I would think that being on Suboxone for anything longer than 1 month would cause physical and psychological addiction. Of course my detox was not be as bad as yours will be, but the point of this post was for those who possibly have not been on Suboxone for very long and are seeking help/advice. Not everyone is going to be on Suboxone for a long time. The majority? Probably. But if we only catered to the majority here then Bluelight would not be nearly as great as it is.

Also, I think half, if not more of the severity of withdrawal symptoms are what you are expecting them to be. So, if you think it is going to be hellish, it is going to be hellish.

I appreciate your feedback and thanks for the congrats! I was so scared. My fear was the worst part.

 

[MrPubNub]

I think you guys are right on the money here. I have been trying to get off bupe after deciding to part ways with my doctor for reasons I won't go into here. I do think it's mostly psychological. I believe the withdrawal becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy to some extent. I'm not saying there isn't some physical withdrawal but I've had to go cold turkey off of 120 mg of methadone so that kind of puts it in perspective for me. The problem for me is to stop identifying with the mindset where a substance is needed. I don't know if I'll ever win that battle, I think it's too conditioned. Overall I think bupe is a good medicine, but the expense and the conditions this doctor is requiring keep going from bad to worse.

Could not have put it better. Well said and so, so true.

Congrats on making it through your methadone detox. That's truly amazing from the dose you were at. How long did the WD last for you? Methadone was a very "weird" and extended detox for me but nowhere near as painful or acute as h. But I was sedated for the first 6 hours so maybe if I were awake the severity would have been worse.

 

[FLA]

Could not have put it better. Well said and so, so true.

Congrats on making it through your methadone detox. That's truly amazing from the dose you were at. How long did the WD last for you? Methadone was a very "weird" and extended detox for me but nowhere near as painful or acute as h. But I was sedated for the first 6 hours so maybe if I were awake the severity would have been worse.

Thanks for asking! I just wanted to start out that I get a lot of good advice and support here and I appreciate it. You won't find a better group of people than here on SL IMHO. I especially was interested in TPD's recent take on the 12 Step dilemma.

In 2013 I nodded out brushing my teeth late one night, fell and broke my ribs. The next day I verbally threatened my wife in the ER room. The doctors had me Baker acted. Mind you I have zero prior history of violence. Anyway I was maintained on 120 mg of methadone and 3 mg of clonazepam at the time. While I was in what basically amounted to a psych ward, they first started trying to ease me off the benzo by a decreasing protocol of phenobarbital. Meanwhile the methadone withdrawal started off bad, grew in intensity and became horrendous. There was no way I could sleep. I was vomiting. I lost a lot of weight, which was actually a good thing. Methadone had really bloated me. I saw one girl in there, she said she had been on methadone, who knows, but she had a break with reality during withdrawal and they had to put her 'on the dark side' as they called it. I had had my last dose of methadone on a Friday and by Wednesday I was begging the Psychiatrist to put me on bupe. He wanted me to wait until the next morning but I talked the tech into giving it to me early. As soon as it hit my system, I projectile vomited orange bile all over my blanket. I gradually got used to the bupe and got out after about 10 days total. It just so happened that my insurance company called during the exact time I was in the room with the Psychiatrist and I asked them to cut off the funds. I continued to feel pretty horrible for about the next 4 months at least but I'm sure the benzo was more of a contributing factor than the opioid.